高中英语必修2课文(人教版)

1高中英语必修2（人教版）Unit1CulturalrelicsINSEARCHOFTHEAMBERROOMFrederickWilliamI,theKingofPrussia,couldneverhaveimaginedthathisgreatestgifttotheRussianpeoplewouldhavesuchanamazinghistory.ThisgiftwastheAmberRoom,whichwasgiventhisnamebecauseseveraltonsofamberwereusedtomakeit.Theamberwhichwasselectedhadabeautifulyellow-browncolourlikehoney.Thedesignoftheroomwasinthefancystylepopularinthosedays.Itwasalsoatreasuredecoratedwithgoldandjewels,whichtookthecountry'sbestartistsabouttenyearstomake.Infact,theroomwasnotmadetobeagift.ItwasdesignedforthepalaceofFrederickI.However,thenextKingofPrussia,FrederickWilliamI,towhomtheamberroombelonged,decidednottokeepit.In1716hegaveittoPetertheGreat.Inreturn,theCzarsenthimatroopofhisbestsoldiers.SotheAmberRoombecamepartoftheCzar'swinterpalaceinStPetersburg.Aboutfourmetreslong,theroomservedasasmallreceptionhallforimportantvisitors.Later,CatherineIIhadtheAmberRoommovedtoapalaceoutsideStPetersburgwhereshespenthersummers.Shetoldherartiststoaddmoredetailstoit.In1770theroomwascompletedthewayshewanted.Almostsixhundredcandleslittheroom,anditsmirrorsandpicturesshonelikegold.Sadly,althoughtheAmberRoomwasconsideredoneofthewondersoftheworld,itisnowmissing.InSeptember1941,theNaziarmywasnearStPetersburg.Thiswasatimewhenthetwocountrieswereatwar.BeforetheNaziscouldgettothesummerpalace,theRussianswereabletoremovesomefurnitureandsmallartobjectsfromtheAmberRoom.However,someoftheNazissecretlystoletheroomitself.Inlessthantwodays100,000pieceswereputinsidetwenty-sevenwoodenboxes.Thereisnodoubtthattheboxeswerethenput2onatrainforKonigsberg,whichwasatthattimeaGermancityontheBalticSea.Afterthat,whathappenedtotheAmberRoomremainsamystery.Recently,theRussiansandGermanshavebuiltanewAmberRoomatthesummerpalace.BystudyingoldphotosoftheformerAmberRoom,theyhavemadethenewonelookliketheoldone.In2003itwasreadyforthepeopleofStPetersburgwhentheycelebratedthe300thbirthdayoftheircity.AFACTORANOPINION?Whatisafact?Isitsomethingthatpeoplebelieve?No.Afactisanythingthatcanbeproved.Forexample,itcanbeprovedthatChinahasmorepeoplethananyothercountryintheworld.Thisisafact.Thenwhatisanopinion?Anopinioniswhatsomeonebelievesistruebuthasnotbeenproved.Soanopinionisnotgoodevidenceinatrial.Forexample,itisanopinionifyousay“Catsarebetterpetsthandogs”.Itmaybetrue,butitisdifficulttoprove.Somepeoplemaynotagreewiththisopinionbuttheyalsocannotprovethattheyareright.Inatrial,ajudgemustdecidewhicheyewitnessestobelieveandwhichnottobelieve.Thejudgedoesnotconsiderwhateacheyewitnesslookslikeorwherethatpersonlivesorworks.He/sheonlycaresaboutwhethertheeyewitnesshasgiventrueinformation,whichmustbefactsratherthanopinions.Thiskindofinformationiscalledevidence.3Unit2TheOlympicGamesANINTERVIEWPausanias,whowasaGreekwriterabout2,000yearsago,hascomeonamagicaljourneyonMarch18th2007tofindoutaboutthepresent-dayOlympicGames.HeisnowinterviewingLiYan,avolunteerforthe2008OlympicGames.P:MynameisPausanias.Ilivedinwhatyoucall“AncientGreece”andIusedtowriteabouttheOlympicGamesalongtimeago.I’vecometoyourtimetofindoutaboutthepresent-dayOlympicGamesbecauseIknowthatin2004theywereheldinmyhomeland.MayIaskyousomequestionsaboutthemodernOlympics?L:Goodheavens!Haveyoureallycomefromsolongago?Butofcourseyoucanaskanyquestionsyoulike.Whatwouldyouliketoknow?P:HowoftendoyouholdyourGames?L:Everyfouryears.TherearetwomainsetsofGames-theWinterandSummerOlympics,andbothareheldeveryfouryearsonaregularbasis.TheWinterOlympicsareusuallyheldtwoyearsbeforetheSummerGames.Onlyathleteswhohavereachedtheagreedstandardfortheireventwillbeadmittedascompetitors.Theymaycomefromanywhereintheworld.P:WinterGames?Howcantherunnersenjoycompetinginwinter?Andwhataboutthehorses?L:Ohno!Therearenorunningracesorhorseridingevents.Insteadtherearecompetitionslikeskiingandiceskatingwhichneedsnowandice.That’swhythey’recalledtheWinterOlympics.It’sintheSummerOlympicsthatyouhavetherunningraces,togetherwithswimming,sailingandalltheteamsports.P:Isee.Earlieryousaidthatathletesareinvitedfromallovertheworld.DoyoumeantheGreekworld?OurGreekcitiesusedtocompeteagainsteachotherjustforthehonourofwinning.Noothercountriescouldjoinin,norcouldslavesorwomen!4L:Nowadaysanycountrycantakepartiftheirathletesaregoodenough.Thereareover250sportsandeachonhasitsownstandard.Womenarenotonlyallowed,butplayaveryimportantroleingymnastics,athletics,teamsportsand…P:Pleasewaitaminute!Allthoseevents,allthosecountriesandevenwomentakingpart!Wherearealltheathleteshoused?L:ForeachOlympics,aspecialvillageisbuiltforthemtolivein,amainreceptionbuilding,severalstadiumsforcompetitions,andagymnasiumaswell.P:Thatsoundsveryexpensive.DoesanyonewanttohosttheOlympicGames?L:Asamatteroffact,everycountrywantstheopportunity.It’sagreatresponsibilitybutalsoagreathonourtobechosen.There’sasmuchcompetitionamongcountriestohosttheOlympicsastowinOlympicmedals.The2008OlympicswillbeheldinBeijing,China.Didyouknowthat?P:Ohyes!Youmustbeveryproud.L:Certainly.Andafterthatthe2012OlympicswillbeheldinLondon.Theyhavealreadystartedplanningforit.AnewvillagefortheathletesandallthestadiumswillbebuilttotheeastofLond